Sullivan Barrera To Be Offered The Option of Kovalev or Bivol

By Steve Kim

After disposing of Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in two rounds on Saturday night at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, it looks like Sergey Kovalev will be making a relatively quick return in the spring.

As BoxingScene.com reported earlier, Kovalev will be returning on March 3rd, also at the Theater in Madison Square Garden. Kovalev bounced back after suffering back to back defeats to Andre Ward.

"I spoke to both HBO and the Garden last night and we're going to try to do it on March 3rd," said Kathy Duva, the head of Main Events, on Sunday afternoon.

Kovalev captured the vacant WBO 175-pound title by defeating Shabranskyy. The WBO title became vacant when Ward announced his retirement from the sport a few months ago.

So who would face Kovalev on this impending date?

It may depend on which direction Sullivan Barrera decides to go. Duva will offer Barrera two title fights - one against Kovalev and one against Bivol.

Duva answered - "We've got to sit down and talk about who's available and start reaching out and finding out. We have Sullivan Barrera who had the opportunity(to fight Kovalev on this card) and he will be offered both the Kovalev fight and the fight which would be (Dmitry) Bivol's mandatory. So he can get a title fight with one of them."

Barrera, defeated Felix Valera on the semi-main this past weekend at the Garden, is also promoted by Main Events. There is a deal in place for Barrera to fight Bivol on the March date, but Barrera is not bound to that agreement and has the option to take another fight.

"So the first conversation will be with him and if he accepts, great,"said Duva. "If not, than we move onto the Kovalev fight and to whoever wants the challenge."

[QUOTE=pesticid;18247224]I thought Barrera did better against Valera with the exception of the knockdown than Bivol did with Valera. So Bivol is a very winnable fight for Barrera. Kovalev will be obviously the favourite against Barrera but that's based on beating…